Letters to the editor: RTW won't benefit families

Sunday, March 17, 2013

RTW won’t benefit familiesI am writing this letter in response to Brian Pannebecker’s vitriolic March 9 letter claiming that the new right-to-work law will benefit all families. Pannebecker is entitled to his own opinion, but he is not entitled to his own facts or lack thereof. He puts forth the same old low-brow party line argument of “union bosses and their lackeys.” This is the same old, outdated generalizations that he has used in his last half-dozen or so articles. It is the rank-and-file union member that is the driving force of all unions. His letter proves his opinion totally wrong. He states that only 17 percent of Michigan’s workforce is in a union. That is not even close to half, let alone “all families” will benefit. Let us look at the facts. RTW states have lower wages and inferior benefit packages. How is this better for all of the families in Michigan? RTW states do not have lower unemployment rates. If RTW states do not have a measurable higher unemployment rate, how can it be stated that RTW is better for “all the families” in Michigan. It is true that come March 28, some union members will drop out. But very few will drop out because they are so dissatisfied with the union. The real reason as to why some will drop out is because the right-to-work law has nothing to do with what is best for Michigan families. RTW should be called “right to freeload.”

The biggest problems that unions have with RTW is not that workers will not have to join the union and pay dues. It is the fact that these nonunion workers will be legally entitled to all the benefits that the union has worked hard for and negotiated. Even children on a playground know this is not right or fair. The right-to-work law was never about what is best for the people. It is about the Republicans trying to destroy the unions and therefore their support for the Democratic Party. Republicans claimed that Proposal 2 was an overreach and power grab by the unions. At least the collective bargaining issue was put before the people. The people of Michigan had a chance to let their voices be heard. Right-to-work was passed without such input. Furthermore, Republicans added appropriation amendments to the bill to make it impossible to overturn. Why do that if they were so confident in their convictions. Surely, the people would never overturn the law if it is so good for them. The passage of the bill has shown a spotlight on what is wrong with politicians and politics. To be proud of this achievement is beyond comprehension. It would be like winning the Super Bowl by using 15 players and having all of the referees bought and paid for. Supporters of RTW like to say that the failure of Proposal 2 gave them a mandate to pass the law. But exit polls clearly showed that even though they did not support the proposal they did support collective bargaining as it was. Republicans stood behind the shield of “the people have spoken” and passed RTW.” How come it was that same lame-duck congress that went against “the people have spoken” and passed their own emergency manager law despite the fact the people voted against it. If Republicans truly believed that right-to-work was best for Michigan and not a way to just keep themselves in power, then they would have introduced it in an open and honest way just like our Founding Fathers and framers of the Constitution had intended. JEFF ROBERTS Harrison Township